China warns of risk of lake breach on border with Nepal
Chinese authorities have warned of a high risk of a lake formed after a landslide on the China-Nepal border breaching. If it bursts, water could flow downstream and cause further destruction, including in the area of the Gyirong border crossing in Tibet.
Forecast for rising water levels
According to France 24, the lake formed after a flow of mud and debris struck Gyirong on Wednesday. Chinese water authorities forecast that due to further precipitation over the next three days, water inflow into the lake could reach about 3 million cubic metres.
State broadcaster CCTV reported that the water level would rise over the next three days and is forecast to peak around September 1. Xinhua news agency noted that this increases the threat of a breach and flooding in downstream areas.
More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.
Evacuation and casualties
As of Friday morning, 499 local residents and 555 tourists had been evacuated from the disaster zone in Tibet, CCTV reported. The nationalities of the tourists were not specified.
According to Nepal police, the death toll from the floods has reached 469. In a previous update, France 24 reported that searches were continuing for 1,300 people after landslides caused by a glacier collapse. Mud and water flows had then swept through areas of Nepal and China’s Tibet Autonomous Region.
